Dillon Valley man accused of attempted murder

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Fifth Judicial District Attorney Bruce Brown announced this week that he will intensify the charges against a Dillon Valley East man accused in January of striking his significant other in the head with a hatchet.

Brown said that he will seek to prosecute Michael Newcomb, 43, on several felony and misdemeanor charges, including: Attempted second-degree murder, a felony that could carry a prison sentence of 10-32 years; second-degree assault with a deadly weapon, a felony that would carry 10-32 years; two counts of menacing, a felony that could result in up to 6 years in prison; and third-degree assault, a misdemeanor that could carry up to 2 years in county jail.

On Jan. 31, the Summit County Sheriff's Office responded to a domestic dispute. The incident was initially reported to 911 by a neighboring couple who heard a "scuffle" in the condo below and the victim's cries for help.

Investigators say that Newcomb struck his female companion in the head with a hatchet. The woman was transported to St. Anthony Summit Medical Center. She suffered a six-millimeter fracture to the back of her skull, investigators say. Additionally, the victim was struck in the front of the head with a metal pipe that the couple used as a type of doorstop. This blow caused an injury that required several stitches.

Newcomb was scheduled to have his first court appearance today. His bond has been set at $7,500, according to a news release from the district attorney's office.